Attachment for sewing machines



April 16, 1940. w c, H KE 2,197,548

ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed March 25, 1937 B Z W 'W Patented Apr. 16'. 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

2,197,548 ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING MACHINES William C. Hake, St. Louis, Mo. Application March 25, 1937, Serial No. 132,942

5 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to sewing machines, and more particularly to an attachment for sewing machines for guiding and controlling the tape used in forming a French 5 binding, or the like, for shoes.

Difficulty has been experienced heretofore in forming a French binding for shoes when the tape has an adhesive surface in that the tape has stuck in the guide. Obviously, such sticking ll of the tape within the guide results in costly delay while the device is being placed in operative condition, and in damage to the articles to which the binding is applied.

An object of the present invention is to pro- 15 vide a tape guide for sewing machines which will permit the tape to be drawn therethrough readily and easily.

Another object is to provide a tape guide which includes a roller for. the purpose of preventing 20 sticking of the tape when being fed through the guide.

Another object is to provide a tape guide which includes novel means for adjustably mounting the device on a sewing machine.

25 Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown mount- 30 ed on a supporting bracket of a sewing machine.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device and associated parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the tape guide and associated presser roller, a strip of tape being 35 shown in position within the tape guide and beneath the presser roller.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the improved tape guide.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numerals, a supporting arm ID of a sewing machine (not shown) carries a vertically reciprocating needle bar H and needle l2, and a bracket or post 13. An arm I4 is connected 4.5 to the post l3 by means of the slot I and the screw IS. The arm I4 is of a configuration to extend laterally from its supporting connection and then downwardly and inwardly, as is clearly shown by Figs. 1 and 2, and includes the spaced 50 apertures I! and I8. To the free end of the arm I l through the aperture 18 is connected a support 20 for a presser roller 2|, the presser roller 2| being rotatably mounted upon the support 20. The presser roller support 20 may be of the construction shown in my Patent No. 1,849,797,

granted March 5, 1932. All of the foregoing is substantially well known in the prior art and forms no part of the present invention.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, there is shown a tape guide generally designated 23 which is -5 constructed in the form of an arcuate housing of the configuration particularly shown in Fig.

5. The guide 23 includes opposed channel members 24 and 25 which are arcuately shaped and which are maintained in rigid relation by the cross piece 26 and the rectangularly shaped top strap 21, which are welded, or otherwise fixed to the members. The channel members 24 and 25 are out way below the cross piece 26 to provide a space 28 to receive the presser roller 2|. 0b- 5 viously the guide 23 can be formed from a single piece of metal, or it can be cast, if preferable.

In the end of the guide 23 adjacent the strap 21 is a roller 30 which is journaled upon a pin 3| which is supported off center (Fig. 4) so as to permit a binding tape 32 to be drawn over and past it. The pin 3i is maintained in fixed relation to the strap 21 by means of bradding 33, or the like. The roller 33 holds the sticky surface 29 of the tape out of contact with the wall of the guide, so that the tape passes freely through the guide.

A supporting arm 35 preferably of circular cross-section is welded or otherwise fixed to the concave side of the guide 23 at 36. The arm 35 extends through a diametrical opening 31 in a collar 38. The collar 38 has a threaded longitudinal opening 39 which receives a set screw 40 that engages the arm within the collar 38 to hold the arm'35 in selected adjusted position. 35 The collar 38 is closed at the end remote from the set screw 43 by an integral reduced threaded extension M, which extends through the aperture H in the arm l4 and receives the nut 42.

The guide 23 is, therefore, capable of a number of adjustments, inasmuch as its supporting arm 35 may be rotated around the longitudinal axis of the collar 38 after loosening the nut 42, and may be rotated around and moved along its own longitudinal axis after loosening the set screw 5 40. This construction permits the guide to be accurately positioned relative to the presser roller 2|.

When in operative position the guide 23 is disposed relative to the presser roller 21 in the po- 5 sition shown in Fig. 3. As is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the tape 32 is introduced into the guide 23 from above. Hence, the initial contact of the tape with the guide 23 is against the roller 30. Further, the pull of the tape 32 through the 5 guide 23 by the presser roller 2| is against the roller 30. Hence, the likelihood of the tape 32 sticking within the guide 23 is reduced to a minimum.

It is apparent that there has been provided a guide for a tape employed particularly in forming a French binding which is adapted to fulfill, in combination with a sewing machine, all of the advantages and objects sought therefor. It is to be understood that the foregoing description and accompanying drawing have been given by way of illustration and example and not for purposes of limitation, the invention being limited only by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An attachment for a sewing machine comprising a guide for passing a tape to material to which said tape is to be stitched, said guide being in the form of an arcuate housing and providing an arcuate passageway, a roller disposed at the entrance of the housing and at the upper side of the passageway in a position to be initially passed over by the tape, said roller providing the only surface contacted by the fiat sides of tape passing through the guide, and means for supporting said guide on a sewing machine.

2. In combination, a support; an arm mounted on said support, a presser roller rotatably mounted on said arm, and a tape guide adjustably mounted on said arm and disposed adjacent said presser roller, said guide being provided with a passageway and including a roller disposed at the upper side of the passageway and transversely to the line of travel of the tape through said guide, said roller providing the only surface contacted by the flat sides of tape passing through the guide.

3. In combination, a presser roller, a tape guide, said guide being in the form of an arcuate housing providing a passageway and being open at both ends, said guide being cut away between its opposite side edges at the lower end for the operative reception of the presser roller, and means at the upper side of the passageway within said housing adapted to maintain the flat sides of tape out of contact with the walls of the guide thereby facilitating the passage of the tape therethrough, said means providing the only contact for thefiat sides of tape passing through the guide. I f

4. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a tape guide, and means to connect said guide to a sewing machine comprising an arm of circular cross-section fixed to said guide, a collar having a diametrical opening receiving said arm, and said collar also having a longitudinal threaded opening, a set screw in said latter opening removably contacting said arm, a reduced threaded extension integral with said collar adapted to extend through an opening in a support, and a nut threadedly engaging said reduced extension and adapted to cooperate with said collar to adjustably hold said aforementioned elements in position on a sewing machine.

5. An attachment for sewing machines comprising a tape guide, said guide comprising a tubular body providing a passageway adapted to be positioned with a portion thereof close to a needle, and a roller connected to said body adapted to be initially contacted by a tape passing through said guide, said roller being adjacent to the upper side of the passageway and spaced from the lower side thereof, and means for supporting said guide on a sewing machine, said rollerbeing the only surface contacted by the fiat sides of the tape in the passage of the tape through the body.

- WILLIAM C. HAKE. 

